GDHQNHL15_2pg-Columbus Blue Jackets 2

Buffalo Sabres Gameday HQ

anything, it just won’t give up.
Teams playing against Columbus
have to be ready to contest every
puck, all over the ice. A lot of that
toughness comes from the D, which
won’t relent and makes life easier
for goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.
The first pairing of veteran
Jack Johnson and youngster David
Savard should be quite formidable.
Johnson is a strong performer at
both ends and on special teams.
He’ll turn 28 this year, is in the
middle of his prime and leads a corps that is deep but not necessarily
spectacular. Savard was not a huge producer last year but finished with
a plus-two rating in 70 games and demonstrated plenty of skill during
training camp.
The second grouping features Wisniewski, who is a fine passer
and puck handler and also solid at the blue line, with 21-year old Ryan
Murray. Murray played in 66 games last year and showed that he is
capable of being a strong contributor full time this year. Murray can help
on the power play (three goals) and has a good shot from the blue line.
Expect Columbus to use veteran Fedor Tyutin and Dalton Prout as
the third pairing, with Tim Erixon the extra defender. Tyutin is a steady
producer who had 22 assists last year, while Prout will be looking to
step forward after playing in 49 games in 2013-14. Erixon, meanwhile, is
trying to stick with the big club, after playing in just two games last year.
Blue Jackets Goaltending
Okay, so Bobrovsky didn’t win the Vezina Trophy last year, as he did
in 2012-13, but he still had a good year. “Bob” posted a healthy 2.38 goals
against average and a .923 save percentage. While those numbers didn’t
put him among the league’s elite last year, they certainly didn’t hamper
the Blue Jacket effort, and it was clear that he played a big role in the
playoff run. Bobrovsky had five shutouts – a career high – and showed
consistency that he wasn’t able to demonstrate during his first two years
in Philadelphia. His trouble came in the playoffs, with a 3.17 GAA and a
.908 save percentage.
Bobrovsky had better stay healthy, because backup Curtis
McElhinney doesn’t have a glowing NHL resume. Last year’s 28 games
represented a career high, and his 2.70 GAA wasn’t stellar. He did,
however, register 10 wins, most in his time in the league.
Power Play
Although Columbus’ 19.29 percent success rate last year was not
that far above league average, it was more than five percent higher
than the 2012-13 performance, which was abysmal. The Blue Jackets
weren’t very good on the advantage for the preceding three seasons,
with 2010-11’s 13.95 percent the nadir. Although Columbus doesn’t have
one big gun, it has several players who can score on the unit, and that
makes it dangerous.
Of course, it doesn’t have Umberger, who led the Jackets last year
with eight power-play goals. Losing him could hurt. Once Johansen gets
settled, he can be counted on for production, as his seven scores on the
advantage proved last year. Letestu may be a fourth-line center, but he
did hit the net five times on the power play last year. Dubinsky, Atkinson,
Jenner and Johnson round out a versatile collection of man-advantage
weapons who should
give Columbus strong
success once again.
Penalty Kill
The Blue Jackets
weren’t necessarily a
juggernaut on the kill
last year, and their
82.14 percent rate
was pretty much the
league average. But
when you add up the
two special teams, the
total exceeds 100, and
that’s what a lot of
coaches want to see. It
would help the team’s
playoff hopes if the
number improved, but
it is still strong.
Dubinsky, who
Brandon Dubinsky
Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
seems to do just about
everything for Columbus, is a key player on the kill. It also helps a lot to
have Bobrovsky along the back line. He’s a reliable backstop who can
handle tough shots and doesn’t always need to be protected that much.
Along the defensive line Tyutin is a stalwart, but during training camp,
Savard jumped onto the first unit, ahead of Wisniewski, continuing his
strong play and continuing to show promise.
Prediction
This team isn’t ready for Cup contention, not by any stretch. But
if the first line plays together for a good chunk of the season,
Bobrovsky doesn’t slump, and the young players continue to
emerge, this is not only a team that could make the playoffs but
also one that just might win a first-round series.
Scoreboard
13 12 11 10 09
PLAYOFF FINISH Conf QF DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ
REGULAR SEASON 43-32-7 24-17-7 29-46-7 34-35-13 32-35-15
POINT TOTAL 93 55 65 81 79
SHOOTOUT RECORD 5-2 5-4 4-5 5-8 2-10
GOALS SCORED 231 120 202 215 216
GOALS ALLOWED 216 119 262 258 259
POWER PLAY % 19.29 14.19 15.46 13.95 18.18
PENALTY KILL % 82.14 82.64 76.64 80.25 81.74